Synthesis of FMSP experience and lessons learned for fisheries co-management (R.8470)
Unfortunately, in many developing countries, and particularly in small-scale fisheries, centralised management arrangements have not been able to ensure the sustainable management of the fisheries resources on which so many depend. Because of this, and/or because of economically driven reforms and constraints, increasing attention has been given to the possibilities afforded by co-management.
Co-management provides an opportunity for a partnership arrangement in which government, local resource users (fishers), external agents (NGOs, academic and research organisations), and other fisheries and coastal resource stakeholders (boat owners, fish traders, money lenders, tourism establishments etc) share the responsibility and authority for decision making in the management of a fishery. However, the different objectives, perspectives and constraints of these stakeholder groups, while potentially increasing opportunities for improved and more sustainable management that meets the needs of all, can also be a source of difficulties when agreeing management roles and responsibilities.
A number of projects commissioned under the FMSP have sought to address issues around co-management and provide practical approaches tools and methodologies that can be used by development practitioners to assist in the development of working co-management arrangements that deliver improved and more sustainable benefits to those, including the poorest, who rely upon fisheries resources. This project aims to improve synthesise, and to make available in the most appropriate form, information on the lessons that have been learned concerning co-management from ten years of FMSP research. Many of these lessons have applicability beyond fisheries co-management and can inform more widely approaches to natural resources management. The FMSP has an important contribution to make in this area and outputs from this project containing a number of lessons are important and can help to shape future policy and inform development projects in fisheries as well as other natural resources.
Additional resources relating to ParFish, data collection and information sharing and adaptive learning can be found on the following pages:
| Download Documents | View PDF |
| Flyer - This is a two page flyer designed to highlight the project and the products that have been developed. | Download (111Kb) |
| Booklet on Lessons - An accessible 40 page booklet that describes the co-management process, some of the issues around co-management policy and management plan formulation, implementation and evaluation. Describes some of the FMSP approaches, tools and methods that can assist in this process together with some of the FMSP experiences. Targeted at fisheries managers, researchers and facilitators. | Download (1.2Mb) |
| Summary brief – A 10 page summary providing a quick overview of the lessons learned and the co-management tools that have been developed. Highlights the current challenges to successful co-management, principles for successful co-management and examples of how these principles have been put into practice through FMSP projects. Targeted at fisheries managers, researchers and facilitators. | Download (539Kb) |
| Policy brief - The policy brief provides a summary of the lessons for co-management from a policy perspective. It describes the lessons learned through the FMSP programme of developing, implementing and evaluating policies to support co-management. Targeted fisheries policy and decision makers. | Download (420Kb) |
| Contacts | |
| Contact | Dr Robert Arthur |
| Role | Project Leader |
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